Labyrinth
by eclipse of thy heart
Summary: A labyrinth, strong magic and a very annoying guard. Why is it never easy to acquire a legendary item when you need it? Two shot


Karou and Misao ran, dodging the piles that littered their path. They leaped over a pile of scraps that looked suspiciously like scrapes of cloth, metal and variegated brown splinters of bone. "RRRUUURR," bellowed out from behind them.

"How can one Minotaur sound like a herd", Misao wheezed.

"Don't-know- just run!"

"Kaoru, you sure-"

"SHUT UP, MISAO."

"But-"

"NO! It's still the same as when you asked five minutes ago. Your magic isn't working either. So why would mine?"

Misao pouted. She fervently hoped that they didn't choose a dead end. Running in circles was one thing, it was quite another to be running in circles while being hunted. With each turn, anxiety and fear pumped thickly through their veins trying to crowd out reason and common sense.

They tried magic but the maze had nullified it. They found out, to their shock and horror, when they first came face to face with the Minotaur, that their magic couldn't be called forth.

Misao winced. That had been her fault. They noticed that the walls seemed to change from one turn to the next. Sometimes the stones were thicker, sometimes moss covered, and sometimes they looked decomposing. They found one that had vines that climbed up its side. Misao had the brilliant idea of cheating the maze. Barely had she pulled herself up onto the wall, when the bull came charging around the wall bellowing at them.

Suddenly, it was quiet. The only sounds they could hear were their footsteps and their sharp inhalations and exhalations of air. They paused, glancing at each other, behind them and around.

"Do you think he took another path to cut us off and catch us by surprise?" Misao turned a questioning glance towards Kaoru.

"I don't see why he would. He's faster than us, I think." Kaoru glanced nervously behind again. That had been too easy. Like it had given up the chase. She doubted the shallow cut she managed to give it, when it got too close, was enough to slow it down. Fighting that thing was impossible. It was fast; it turned and moved in impossible ways. Neither one of them were a match for it, even with both of their training. It knocked Misao's kunai out of the air, blocked and dodged Karou's blade like it was child's play.

As if the Minotaur wasn't bad enough, an oppressive weigh of magic blanketed everything within the maze. It made the mage's and elemental's skin crawl. It laid in layers, some areas thicker and others thinner. There were paths they wouldn't even consider because of the oppressive weight and scent of magic that oozed out of its entrance.

Kaoru wasn't sure it was only the two of them and the Minotaur in the maze. Neither wanted to find out. Kaoru had always been taught, strong areas of magic attracted strong creatures of magic. Man made weapons weren't made for fighting creatures of magic.

"Kaoru?"

"Yes Misao."

"I've been wondering-." Kaoru paused mid-step and tilted her head to the right. Misao's eyes scanned the area before returning to Kaoru. Misao exhaled as Kaoru's shoulders loosened and she started forward. "...where are all the Minotaurs coming from?"

"Misao, I hardly think this is the time to be asking that."

"No. I really think it is."

Kaoru exhaled. "Misao, there is only one Minotaur."

"First of all, how do you know that there is only one Minotaur chasing us right now? And second, that is not what I meant." Kaoru threw a glance over her shoulder, eye brow raised. "Think about it. In the stories, there is only one Minotaur that is ever mentioned and he was killed by Thesus. So, where are all these other ones coming from?"

Kaoru took a deep breath then sighed. "Does that matter Misao?"

Misao huffed. "You are not even trying, Kaoru. Think about it. In the past, the Minotaur always required a sacrifice instead of a fine."

"Ok."

"Seven young men and seven virgin maidens."

Silence descended for a couple of minutes. "Ok... But what does this have to do with anything?"

"Kaoru, why request virgins? Why would it matter for them to be virgins if he was just going to eat them? Why not just request seven young males and females?" Kaoru paused, turned and considered Misao. Suddenly, Misao blanched, her eyed wide as she stared back. "You don't think that they were used for breeding then killed and eaten afterwards," Misao squeaked.

Kaoru gave a weak laugh. "Misao, you are being ridiculous."

"You aren't a virgin. I AM." Misao snapped.

Kaoru snorted while trying to contain her laughter. "Misao"-Kaoru took a breath- "that is completely your own fault."

"Saving yourself for someone special is not silly."

"No. It isn't. But saving yourself for someone who hasn't shown any interest in you, is silly."

"Aoshi is just shy."

Kaoru snorted and turned to keep moving. She quietly considered Misao's observation. It was a valid point but she'd never tell Misao that. The girl was worked up enough as it was and Kaoru needed all the help she could get. This expedition was a quest for the insane and suicidal. They had known long before they had committed themselves to it, that they were most assuredly going to die. Kaoru tried not to think about it. All that mattered was if they succeed and the legend was true, she would finally be on her way to retrieving Yahiko back. Kaoru's eyes watered. Three years. It had been three years since she last saw her baby brother. She had been eight years his senior when he had disappeared. 'He turned thirteen this year.' She had grieved for the loss of her baby brother but she never allowed herself to think he had passed. Kaoru mentally shook herself, pushed away her thoughts and tried to concentrate on locating the way to the middle of this God forbidden maze. She kept chanting her mantra to keep herself going. 'If this place of legend exists, surely so does the artifact I require.'

She had wanted to go alone. She had warned Misao. She had begged. Pleaded with her. But, barring blood ties, Misao was a sister to her in every way that mattered. Misao would not be moved, even with the threat of death. Kaoru wondered what she would have done without Misao.

Sano had wanted to come. Begged. Demanded. Threatened. But in the end, there was no way Kaoru or Misao would have let him. It wasn't fair to Megumi or their unborn child to ask him to follow them to his death. Even for his baby brother, they could not ask. They had left a note and disappeared into the night. Sano would be furious but he'd live.

"For a place oozing of magic, it's ironic that ours won't work."

"I've been thinking about that but nothing makes sense." Kaoru's shoulders slumped and Misao slid forward to wrap her arm around Kaoru. "The only thing I could think of is that the artifact is nullifying our magic. But even that doesn't make sense. Why would it only affect ours? Why would it not affect the magic around us? It lays in thick layers around us, yet I cannot draw mine forth. The legend never mentioned exactly how it worked, just that it can nullify any magic. Whether it destroys it or represses it, I haven't a clue."

Misao shook Kaoru. "Come on. We found a place that didn't exist and are tracking an item of legend. We have proven many wrong. Things are looking much brighter than they were before. Let's not think about it." Misao glanced behind her. "I think we should keep moving-just in case the Minotaur is still tracking us."

Kaoru tensed, nodded and moved out from Misao's arm. "Misao", Kaoru turned towards her, "can you feel any traces of water near by?"

Misao pulled her shoulders back and tipped her head back slightly, lips parted a little as she focus her attention. As a water elemental, she had an affinity with water. She could bend it to her will or located it no matter how far the distances, although she was technically only part elemental. Her mother had been a pixie, her father an elemental. Apparently, pixies weren't as small as people assumed. They could just be really short woman.

This mix of blood gave Misao a unique brand of powers. None of which were apparently working. Misao's lips were pulling down into a frown while creases started to appear across her forehead. Kaoru sighed. "How is it possible for it to block you from locating water? You have an affinity to water. Neither can be separated from the other. It's as much a part of you as you are a part of it."

Misao's head tilted her head forward and her eyes slowly opening. "I don't know. It's almost like I can feel it but then when I try to pinpoint it, it becomes fuzzy. Like a bad connection or something."

'So much for water.' Kaoru thought glumly. Their packs had been lost during their fight and escape from the Minotaur. 'No water, no food. At least we could have survived without food for awhile.' Kaoru shook her head. 'Just be happy it is neither very hot nor very cold here.'

(A/N) It has been a very long time since I've written anything. I like to think/hope that my writing has vastly improved from my earlier stories. Speaking of which, my profile will have updates on what I'm going to do with each of them. Anyway, this story has been sitting on my hard drive for three years now. Well a small portion of it. I accidentally came across it a couple of months ago and became obsessed with finishing it. Just to reiterate this is a two shot. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll try to get the next one out soon.


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